Kathmandu, January 19:

Teams of human rights bodies that probed into the Maoists’ attack at the Thankot Police Post have said the Maoists violated war rules and international humanitarian laws by gunning down unarmed and surrendered security personnel.

The rebels reportedly gunned down unarmed police personnel Yadav Raj KC after calling him out of his office, said Charan Prasai, chairman of the Human Rights Organisation of Nepal (HURON).

HURON, Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC), NHRC teams had visited Thankot to probe the Saturday’s Maoist attack on the Thankot Police Post that killed a dozen police personnel.

He further said the Maoists shot police sentries Babu Ram Adhikari and Sudesh Kumar Tamang even after they surrendered.

“The Maoists reportedly called the police sentries to surrender with their arms promising to spare their lives. However, they shot them dead,” he told this daily.

Similarly, the Maoists killed police personnel Ram Hari Dahal outside the police inspector’s room. “The Maoists have violated international humanitarian law in the Thankot incident,” he said. He further said that the civilians were also injured in the attack.

He came down heavily on the government and the Maoists for their inhumane activities and critisised the government for failing to reciprocate the Maoists’ four-month-long ceasefire and condemned the Maoists for such attacks. “Human rights violators are our and people’s enemies. Both the warring factions should strive for the peace process,” he added.

Condemning the attack on Thankot and Dadhikot, Subodh Pyakurel, chairman of INSEC urged the state to take responsibility for daring the Maoists by commenting that the government had broken their backs.